ORLANDO, Fla. — News that Iran and the U.S have agreed to a two-week ceasefire late Tuesday night was like music to the ears of UCF International Relations Professor Houman Sadri.
“Diplomacy takes time. Diplomacy requires negotiation, it takes patience,” said Sadri.
This conflict is personal for Sadri. His father and other relatives fled Iran during the Islamic Revolution in the late 1970s and sought asylum in the U.S. Sadri is not a fan of the Islamic Republic, but he does not support this war.“I think we are always better off to use diplomacy to come up with some kind of win-win situation,” said Sadri.
The U.S and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February amid concerns Iran was developing nuclear weapons. Iran responded weeks later by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway that allows transport of up to 30% of the world’s oil supply.
Trump responded to that by threatening more attacks on Iran’s infrastructure, a move supported by Iranian Activist Sam Sabristani.
“No one likes war, but what is worse than war for the People of Iran is the possibility of this war ends and the Islamic Republic still in power,” said Sabristani.
Sabristani hasn’t been able to get in contact with many of his relatives in Iran because he says internet access and landlines have been blocked by the regime.
“We need to get
people connected again,” he said. “That is the easiest way to see what is going on in there. “
Even with the ceasefire in place, Sadri believes that negotiations could be more difficult for the U.S, because most of the former regime leaders in Iran were killed and the younger leaders are more radical and less open to negotiation.
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